Some time later Samuel and his friends were in the process of waking up in a small infirmary they had never been in before. Samuel was apparantely the last one to wake up as he sat up with a groan, "What in the hells."
"Thats what I said!" Vazmarx agreed, he was laying on his belly with his fur sprouting in every direction, Samuel slowly turned to his left with a half drunk like face and was confused to see Zalbas slowly turn to him with a shit eating grin.
"What?"
Zalbas then proceeded to lay back down on the bed, "Supposedly every rib in his body was broken and they had to give him some heavy medicine to stop his complaints..." Vuldara was at least sitting in her bed with a pillow supporting her back.
"Ah, I see!" Samuel snorted and slowly started pulling himself up while looking around to see if there were anyone in the room. But surprisingly it was just the four of them, "We are deemed safe enough to be left alone, I guess thats a relief!" Samuel took a sharp breath as it felt like he had been stabbed in the side.
"How come you are in such pristine condition already you witch!?" Vazmarx growled silently while pointing an accusational finger at Vuldara, she put a hand on her chest and gave him a smug smile. "Why? Well I just so happen to be a divine mage, healing is my specialty!"
"Kind of like a paladin?"
"Exactly like a paladin except she doesn't receive her power from being a devout follower of any of the gods!" Samuel answered for Vuldara who just nodded. "Man, Children of Mana really are cheats!" Vazmarx complained.
"Im sorry but are you not one yourself?" Vuldara retorted and Vazmarx pretended to sleep instead of answering. But there was an annoyed frown on his protruding fox face. "He is for sure, but he still thinks you are a cheater!" Shakkai finally made herself present and the shadows started jumping around from one to the other.
Zalbas looked completely enthralled by the shadows moving as he lay on his back, making a little 'oooh' sound from time to time, it sounded like the worst and most fun experience at the same time, especially when he was giggling.
"He certainly didn't go easy on any of you!" Shakkai stated as she suddenly sat in the middle of the floor, "Indeed!" Samuel agreed and supported his hand on the side of the bed as he started getting up.
"Are you sure you should be getting up bro?" Vazmarx suddenly wasn't asleep anymore and instead sounded very worried. "I'll be fine!" Samuel groaned as he took a deep breath and got up on his legs.
He stood for a moment and everything seemed fine even if it was hurting. Then he took one step towards the middle of the room, away from the beds, and then he took another step and the entire world became grey and every sound disappeared.
He suddenly fell over in the next moment as he felt great pain welling up his right arm, he landed face first on the floor and suddenly purple waves started spreading like lightning through the floor. Samuel slowly turned his head to his right arm that was next to him, and indeed it was the source.
It was painful enough to make him grit his teeth, he could hear other voices screaming at him, but he couldn't make out what they were saying, all he wanted was for the pain to stop so he slowly reached out his left hand that seemed to be fine.
He couldn't utter a word from his lips, but in his mind he thought 'STOP' and a yellow light suddenly ensnared the purple and golden chains appeared all around it until the purple energy was completely gone. He lay still for a moment before he coughed up a tiny bit of black tar.
"Are you okay? Samuel?" He heard Shakkai's voice and with closed eyes he nodded and exhaled. "I will be fine, just give me a few moments!" Samuel sighed and closed his eyes to sleep.
'Dreams are the making of our own reality, but it is also mirrored by the reality of the astral realm as well as the ethereal realm.'
Samuel heard a voice as he drifted through the darkness, and when he opened his eyes he was surrounded by hundreds of black and purple tentacles, completely cold and alone until a singular huge purplish eye opened.
He took a deep breath and sat up right away and coughed a little more as soon as the shock ended. He was still on the floor, "How long was I out?" He asked loudly. "How long were you? What? Like a second!" Vuldara replied and started to lift him.
He accepted her aid and sat back down on the bed and she looked at him like a worried friend would, "Are you sure you are alright? Not getting delirious or anything?" She had to ask to make sure, Samuel of course could only nod now that the pain and energy from his arm had subsided and he seemed to be feeling a bit better.
"He is good at making you worry about him!" Shakkai stated in a very passive aggressive manner. "I don't know exactly what that power of yours is! But you should try and get it under control so it doesn't rampage!" Vuldara agreed in a kind of passive aggressiveness as well.
Samuel gave another big sigh and nodded, "I agree! But the question is how? Supposedly this power is that which comes from the Bloodline of Xaxiaz, how the in the eleven hells am I supposed to find anyone that know anything about it?"
Samuel had a point because no one could answer his very legitimate question. A sudden gurgle was heard from Zalbas who raised both arms into the air with two thumbs up. "Hehe, my ol' master often talked about ancient Children of Mana still being alive, ones that are thousands of years old... Like the Boogeywoman, Baba Yaga the creator of the fabled horsemen. Or the ancient Wulth... Maybe they can be like having answers or can help or some stuffs even if they are not like from House Xaxiazzz..." His words were a bit of a bubbling mess and he fell asleep almost right away, but it was surprisingly helpful information.
Vuldara however sharply turned, "Uh nuh, The Ancient Wulth is one thing, but trying to find Baba Yaga is insanity!"
"She is supposedly the worst of the worst, the seven horsemen of the apocalypse... If the rumors are true and she really created them. Then she is more powerful than many of the mortal gods, who knows what such an ancient and powerful witch thinks."
Samuel was surprised, everyone had heard the legends about monsters among monsters, the Seven Horsemen of the Apocalypse was a tale said to be almost as old as time.
"I don't think I have much of a choice if I want to control it, I would rather meet someone dangerous than walk around with a power that can go berserk and hurt people."
Everyone sighed at Samuel's words, but they couldn't deny them either because they were true. "Are you sure there isn't a way for you to learn how to control it yourself?" Shakkai asked where everyone else remained silent.
"Maybe in a safe enough enviroment!" Samuel admitted. "As soon as I am done with this eduacation I will go on a journey to find some answers!"
"Why not leave as soon as possible!" Vazmarx finally sat up and looked Samuel in the eyes, "We are Children of Mana, I admit your words of underestimating the other mortal races are true, but we have basicly only two months left at this college... Do we really need it?"
"There are always things that can be learned! Besides, I have a family that needs me now as well! I don't intend to leave them behind or become someone halfarsed, I need to be someone that takes his duties seriously and hold up to the name of House Gillfall!"
Vuldara placed a hand on Samuels shoulder to show her support to his words, Vazmarx sighed and then followed it up with a grin. "I will follow you to the ends of the world and even further beyond, mark my words!"
"Also I think I might just reach the 6th circle of spells by staying these last two months!" Samuel added with a small smile. "H-H-Huh?" Vazmarx stammered, "S-S-Sixth? But the last two months should only cover the proficiency of the 5th circle!"
"Yeah well, I think I have a good grasp on how to reach the next circle, I think I actually know how to reach every circle all the way up to the 12th circle, but it takes time and meditation and reading and understanding!" Samuel rubbed his temple instinctively.
Even spellcasting was covered by the Neural Interface, he was walking around with all the books he needed already stored as an accessory in his head whenever he needed them.
"This thing sure is convenient..." Samuel mumbled to himself, "I have completed my special classes, now I just need to graduate and then somehow also start up my organization outside of the college at the same time as I haveto check in on two, soon to be three children... All the while searching the world for answers!"
"So yeah... It's a lot!" There was so sugarcoating it, it would be difficult. But it was a journey he was mentally prepared to make, everything he had experienced and cultivated up til now was just the beginning. From here on out, the real adventure would begin.
Vazmarx and Vuldara, Zalbas and Shakkai all chanted "Hear Hear!" As they agreed with him, but they all looked equallly determined, well maybe except for Zalbas who looked a bit high on medicine.